1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a heat-sensitive recording sheet having an ability of highly sensitive color development.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, the heat-sensitive recording method has come to possess various advantages such that it gives almost no impact and accordingly is noiseless, development and fixation is not required and equipment maintenance is simple. Therefore, the method is widely used not only in various printers and telephone facsimile but also in many other areas. In the field of the telephone facsimile, the heat-sensitive system has been popularized sharply, which is being improved to a faster speed type for reduction of transmission cost. To respond to the speed-up of facsimile, an increased sensitivity has come to be required for heat-sensitive recording materials.
In the facsimile of faster speed type, since a standard manuscript of an A4 size is transmitted and received in 20 sec to 1 min, electricity runs through a thermal head of the facsimile only for a very short period of time of 1 to 2 msec and a heat energy generated by the electricity is transmitted to a heat-sensitive recording sheet, whereby images are formed. In order to allow a heat energy transmitted in such a short period of time to conduct an image-forming reaction, there is needed a heat-sensitive recording sheet excellent in heat response. This requirement of excellent heat response does become more stringent particularly when the facsimile is used at a low temperature of 10.degree. C. or below.
Ordinarily, heat-sensitive recording sheets contain, as essential components, a dye precursor and a color developer. A method for increasing the sensitivity of a heat-sensitive recording sheet by allowing the heat-sensitive coating layer of the sheet to contain a heat-meltable substance is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 4160/1968.
Heat-meltable substances have a function that, when they are melt by a heat energy transmitted, they dissolve or include a dye precursor or a color developer or both and they accelerate their color-developing reaction. However, these heat-meltable substances do not develop colors by themselves and, while giving the sensitizing effect, cause various inconveniences such that they cause blotting or feathering in developed color portions or cover the developed color portions and thereby cause density reduction, namely dilution and further they produce work-ups or stickings. Accordingly, heat-meltable substances have a limitation in sensitivity-increasing effect when they are used alone.
Hence, there have been made studies for enhancing the heat response of dye precursors or color developers which are both directly related to color development. However, in the case of dye precursors, utilizable dye precursors are small in number at present considering from characteristics after color development, cost, manufacturing problems, etc., and selection of dye precursors having excellent heat response from among such a small number is difficult practically. On the other hand, in the case of color developers, it is known that benzyl p-hydroxybenzoate described in Japanese Patent Application Kokai (Laid-open) No. 74762/1979 has excellent heat response, but this compound has a drawback of giving unstable images. In the case of color developers, it is also known as described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 72996/1981 that inclusion of one or two or more kinds of terephthalic acid esters improves image stability and further is effective for heat sensitivity.
To respond to changes of recording equipments associated with the speed-up of recording speed as well as to a requirement of high density recording under a low temperature atmosphere of 10.degree. C. or below, there have been desired the advent of a heat-sensitive recording sheet with increased color-development sensitivity particularly at low temperatures.
Even in high speed facsimile equipments, the pattern of transmitting heat energy onto a heat-sensitive recording sheet varies at times depending upon remittance modes, because there are cases that these high speed facsimile equipments are connected to low or medium speed facsimile equipments of older type for enabling their reciprocal communication. Specifically explaining, in the case of a low or medium speed remittance mode, a time for heat remittance becomes longer and therefore, when the energy quantity transmitted is fixed constant, the temperature of a thermal head which is a heat-generating element is controlled at a relatively low temperature or the scanning line density is reduced. This presents a very severe condition for high density recording at low temperature atmosphere.